


Sanguineous

by dreamingcicadas



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Actually GG Regis, Baby fangs, But Regis has a lot of communication issues, But with fangs, Especially Gladiolus, Eventual Ardyn/Noctis, Everyone makes fun of him, Gen, I'm sorry Noct you never deserved this, King Regis is a vampire and so is Ardyn, M/M, Noct is NOT going to handle bloodlust well, Noctis is half vampire, Think Noctis, This is a slowburn story, Vampire AU, because Regis is the best father to our little Noctis poofball, but theyre not going to be focused on, im sorry, it will be a simple tease, okay the prom/noct is a tease guys, rip promptis, there might be nyx in here, theyre my otp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-17 05:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9307130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingcicadas/pseuds/dreamingcicadas
Summary: Vampire AU.King Regis is trying in all his might to prevent his son from indulging in his vampiric nature, but Ardyn doesn't find that very amusing.Noctis is a dhampir.





	1. In her memory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nickofhearts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/gifts).



> Just so you know, the lore in this fanfiction doesn't have vampires as undead creatures. That makes the implications of Regis having children difficult, and a little disturbing, so I used creative license here.  
> Ignis and Gladiolus are vampires. Prompto will be human here, for good reason. Luna and Ravus are humans, as well.  
> More lore tidbits:
> 
> Vampires don't really care about daylight, but they are nocturnal.  
> Vampires age VERY slowly, humans revere them as immortal because of this. Blood is the elixir of life, afterall.  
> This is largely freeform work, but I tried to catch all the typos//improve flow as much as possible.  
> Enjoy!

King Regis watched from his balcony as the citizens below went about with their daily lives. It was normally a therapeutic activity, where he escaped to after enduring a drawling meeting. More than that, it was insurance. To see that day and night lived together in harmony was all that King Regis strived for. And it was what she would have wanted.

Today, though, nothing seemed to soothe his troubled mind.

When he was with his queen, time had moved for him. It had been too long since Regis had reigned, and the romantic talks of soulmates had been nothing more than fleeting wishes. Until that is, for a brief moment, he lived again.

Nothing in his thousands of years of experience compared to the moment when King Regis cradled his newborn son in his arms.  King Regis was the Lord of the Night. A vampire. His heart was frozen in place long ago, yet he felt the swelling of unsurmountable pride burst out from his chest.  Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum was his world, his everything.

The late queen did not survive the ordeal. She left her humanity with her son, and Regis would do everything in his power to preserve it. These twenty-odd years his son had lived in daylight. As his father, he paid careful attention to Noctis whenever he walked between the borderlines.That he may never overstep them.

Regis clenched his fists and leaned forward on the balcony railing. No, he would never allow Noctis give into the bloodlust. And it was in those precious memories, of his child growing up to be a young man, where Regis found his resolve. He framed his joy in paintings and photos that lined the palace walls.

Today, though, marked a week since Prince Noctis had gone missing. And those memories were all King Regis had.

It was perhaps Noctis’ unique position of growing up in between that lead to this. Regis loved his son. He ensured that Noctis had a fair chance of living as a human, even at the expense of his other half. Another strange feeling in his chest arose. He pushed Noctis so hard away from the darkness that his son had actively gone to seek it out.  

In hindsight, he may have been cruel about it. Never once did he divulge into his son’s curiosities, unless it was to keep his vampiric nature suppressed. The kingsglaive knew, the maidservants knew, everyone knew to treat him like they did the late queen.

His powers in creating the wall had drained him and Clarus refused to let him search for his son personally. Now all he could do was place his trust in the Crownsguard. King Regis kept rewinding the events of his latest fight with Noctis in his head, sinking deeper into despair. Of course his son wanted to be like him, but King Regis was no fool. Dhampir children turned into frenzied beasts when they taste their first blood. He would never want Noctis to feel like a monster, and in the end,he would never want to put his son down.

 

With a deep sigh, King Regis continued to watch the crowd below, hoping that his son was somewhere among them.


	2. Downtown Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot more lore exposition, but hopefully interesting to you guys nonetheless.  
> Tried to catch all the typos, and since this was a long chapter for me, I tried to make the flow better?  
> Ignis was hard to write, out of all the chocobros, I had the biggest trouble relating to him.

Whatever was said in the King’s most recent argument with his son, it must have cut deep enough for Noctis to run off on his own. As Gladiolus put it, Prince Noctis had broken a record. This was the most drawn out game of hide and seek _in years._

But on the third day Gladiolus took back his words, true concern bubbling up.

Ignis should have begun his search immediately, he should have listened to his instinct.

It was not uncommon for Noctis to disappear on these escapades. Ignis didn’t understand how the boy grew up so skilled in evasion. Especially given the fact Noctis was in a palace guarded by pureblooded vampires, and he was half-human. Maybe this was King Regis’ way of lessening the strain of his son’s manacles, Ignis speculated.

But this length of time was too long for Noctis’ charades, he would have returned by now. So as the third day became the seventh with no calls or texts, it was only natural he volunteered in the search. His efforts were all in vain, though. There were no rumours, no tracks, nothing. The prince had seemingly vanished into thin air.

After the first few days of the incident, Ignis was ordered to stop driving the Regalia to search for his prince. Clarus, Gladiolus’ father, assumed that the crowned prince was either avoiding anything related to his prestige, or on a much darker note, his captor was able to recognize them.

Now, he sat in a nondescript automobile where the windows were tinted black. He was pulled up to a street corner in a much rougher area of Insomnia. Ignis sighed, pushing the bridge of his glasses up. The Regalia was more spacious than the civilian model and Ignis wished he had the luxury of not feeling so cramped. So he was feeling more than agitated at Gladiolus’ tardiness than he cared to admit. But knowing who Gladio was, Ignis trusted that he was late for a very good reason. The advisor to the future king guiltily pushed aside his thoughts. Prince Noctis could be dead for all they knew, and he was grumbling about a car.

The bloodlines that supported the Kingdom of Lucis and their king were all of unearthly origins. Human civilization was dominated by vampires, and they were usually seen as nothing more than cattle. However, as time moved on, many cities had followed after Insomnia in the convergence of day and night. But like with many great ideas, execution somehow, somewhere, always fell short.  Human rights were a fickle thing, even in the city that never sleeps. When his father had regaled the outcry of voices past concerning the birth of Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis was still too young to remember.

 If King Regis’ relationship with a human was considered scandalous then having a dhampir child was downright despicable. Though, in the eyes of many, Prince Noctis was a symbol of union. Reasonable councilmen and women questioned how a child born of two worlds could live where vampires still ruled supreme.

Ignis remembered attending this meeting about his future charge. He was a few years older than Noctis, who was still too young to join in himself. Despite the refuge Insomnia offered, humans were still discriminated against. The possibility of Prince Noctis being ostracized due to his heritage was a grave one, but one that couldn’t be ignored.

Ignis never thought of King Regis to be one to lose his temper. But he remembered the look of incredulousness spread across his king’s face. His fangs flared out, spitting uncharacteristic vitriol at the demeaning implications. Noctis was no bastard son of his and would be raised like royalty.

 

‘ _But my liege,’ one of the councilmen pleaded, in an effort to placate his king, ‘ There is already so much outrage.’_

 

_‘And there is much support too. I’m aware of the dangers that are to come. Noctis will not be introduced to...our lifestyle.’ King Regis corrected._

 

The memory still sent shivers down his spine; of the power that reverberated in the air when the King resolutely slammed his hands down on the table.

 

_‘My son was chosen by the Crystal to herald in the new era,’  He started, searching into each and every one of their faces, ‘We live in a world where Niflheim sees humans as expendable resources, it is only fitting he is a dhampir.’_

 

Ever since that day Ignis had a newfound respect for his prince and the father who loved him so. Prince Noctis was going to need all the support he could, as the coming years were going to be trying. Noctis was a lonely child, where neither side accepted him fully.

While most of the official positions had to be occupied by vampires, King Regis took every opportunity to fill in the rest with humans. Noctis grew up with smiles and Ignis was proud to claim he was apart of his big family. But something happened, a big accident, where Noctis slowly lost that joy.

Dhampirs had the primal violence of mortal men, but the strength of the supernatural. Many didn’t survive past their first years. If left unchecked, they were considered dangers to society. Noctis had the fortune of having a King for a dad. In any other scenario Noctis would have probably been killed off. Ignis recalled spending many nights in the royal library gleaning through anything he could find. Knowledge of dhampirs, though, were at best, elusive. Ignis couldn’t even find a books length of information on the physiology of Noctis’ kind. Many nobles regarded their Prince with a wary eye behind the pleasantries.  A child born of the Lucis Caelum bloodline would be a force to be reckoned with should he walk down the wrong path. 

And then there was question was begging to asked, just what was the trigger to a dhampir’s bloodlust?

Ignis repressed the shiver of fear that ran down his spine. He looked at his pocket watch. Gladiolus had ten more minutes.

They found their answer in a time before the wall. Noctis had gone off to a fishing trip that was originally supposed to be a vacation between father and son, but the King was a busy man and things didn’t always go as planned. Ignis couldn’t accompany the Prince, as he had to attend to his studies.

Ignis remembered how the palace fell into disarray when the King was alerted of the attack.

 Noctis awoke months later, in a way no parent would ever wish for. Ignis’ own father draped a protective arm around him as they entered the room. The King held up his hand to Clarus, who readied his sword. Then, King Regis slowly shifted his gaze from Ignis to his dad and spared them a pained smile.

 _'Forgive me,'_ _He pleaded._

They saw their Prince, bristled up in a dark corner of the room with his eyes glowing a ghastly red. Bodies of his beloved caretakers scattered around him, their throats ripped open. The newfound features on Noctis’ face seemed out of place to Ignis. Nonetheless, those fangs were bared and dripping with warning.

 It was the second time Ignis saw the deep love the King had for his son. His young mind never understood how grave bloodlust was until this moment.  Noctis flailed and hissed like a rabid animal and yet King Regis still held him in a tight embrace.  It was then Ignis created his own resolve, that he may always stand by Noctis.

King Regis spirited Noctis off to Tenebrae and his prince returned, seemingly normal. _It was the starscourge that caused the insanity_ . 

Ignis wasn't completely sold it was _just_ the starscourge that afflicted the prince. Noctis had drawn into himself too much.

Ignis took up cooking when the young prince started developing a more carnivorous appetite. As the boy grew into a teenager, Noctis complained of the achiness in his throat and pressure in his teeth. The only temporary relief was the progression into bloody, raw meat. Ignis fussed over each dish on making something uncooked taste refined. Noctis didn’t care though, in the end it was reaching to a point where that wasn’t enough.

Ignis found reverie that Noctis still had a sweet tooth.

There was a tap on the glass and Ignis snapped out of his musings. He rolled down the window to see Gladiolus lean in.

“ Sorry it took so long Iggy,” He greeted.

“ It’s not a problem, did you find anything in your search?”

Gladiolus’ face lifted with a small grin, “Yea. A lead.”

Rumour had it, the prince was last seen haunting around Phoenix Feather, a rather popular bar for the young crowd. They saw the dark haired man leave with an older guy, with a strange hat. Gladiolus hopped into the passenger’s seat and Ignis turned the ignition on.

“ I’m gonna give His Majesty a piece of my mind for worrying all of us,” Gladiolus said.

“ Indeed.”

All he wanted to do, was to return to his station as the makeshift chef, and prepare Noctis his favorite sweets.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel really bad for Noct in this AU. Imagine just feeling so thirsty, and no one let you drink water. And what they gave was just paled in comparison. So Noctis is left always wanting.
> 
> His chapter is up next, and I'm really excited for that. I'm debating on whether or not breaking it into three parts! Hopefully


	3. Somnus part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I havent slept yet, and I wrote this all out haha. Fixing up the typos OTL.

Two weeks before the disappearance...

King Regis always seemed to know when Noctis was feeling off-key. It started off as a ticklish scratch at the back of his throat, and then would break into a full-blown episode. Between that time and until he felt normal again, his father would restrict his freedom to everything. The prince was locked away in his chambers and then forced to mull over how his father can read minds. During these bouts, Noctis was begrudging. Last time it was Ignis that kept watch over him. Now it was Amicitia's son. He wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth between going to sleep or staying awake. His teeth ached _so bad_ , it just wasn’t fair. On the opposite side of the room Gladiolus watched him, his chest squared and arms crossed. Noctis tried everything in his might to ignore the glare the Amicitia sent him.

“ Okay Gladio.” It was time to take a chance. “ Imagine... being me.”

He turned to face the man leaning back on the wall, his hands splayed out wide. “ All I want, is to find some _relief_.”

The older man seemed pretty unimpressed by Noctis’ coercion, if one could call it that. Though, unimpressed was still better than silent angry staring.

“Okay, you’re a full fledge vamp so you get to feed. Now imagine you don’t get to drink your _Plasmalyte,_ ” Noctis said, dripping with sarcastic hypothetical. He gestured both hands to his opposite side, as if to show a comparison of the next thing he was going to say. “ Here I am, a _dhampir_ , unable to do that because my dad thinks I’m too pure.”

“ You can still live off human food, I can’t. Besides, you barely have fangs of a kitten.” It sounded he was scolding him.

The prince balked at him.“ Says the guy who never shows off how _big_ his fangs are _._ ”

Gladiolus raised an eyebrow at him, “ That’s because I only show them off for the ladies,” and then he added, “ What’s next, gonna start comparing dick sizes?”

Noctis gawked, face flushed. “ Shut up.”

By the gods, this was wasn’t just _agitating._ This was downright obnoxious. Finally, he made the decision to flop back onto his bed.

“ I think I just might die of boredom,” he drawled out.

“ Then why don’t you go play some video games?” Gladiolus suggested unkindly, still unmoving in his stare. That was a loaded question.

Noctis’ fangs accidently clipped the inside of his mouth when he sucked in his teeth. The black screen of the TV reflected the empty water bottles and candy wrappers cluttered in front of it. Tucked neatly underneath the stand was the latest generation of gaming console. The controller was haphazardly strung out at its end, where Ignis had given up scolding Noct on being neat.

“ It’s funner when I play with Prom,” he said in feigned nonchalant, rubbing at the back of his neck. “All my games are multiplayer. No RPG.”

Gladiolus’ sigh was deep and drawn out. Noctis watched in silence as Gladio moved to the far side of the room. He grabbed another controller from the drawer. The wire was bundled neatly around the device and it had ‘Ignis’ written all over it.

“Every time we play Blood Royale I lose.” It was true, Gladiolus was unmatched.

He heard the other man snort before he pointedly tapped at his cheeks. “ Well until you get yourself sorted out, you’re just going to have to deal with the losses.”

When everything was in order, Gladiolus pressed the ‘on’ button from the remote. The logo of a game company spun around to a halt and then faded into the title screen. The whole sequence soured his mood even more, each happy pinging noise grated at his ears. Then the older man unplugged the controller from its USB charger. Noct caught it easily when Gladiolus flung it towards him.

“ Listen, Prom’s a--”

“ A human, I get it,” Noct cut him off, massaging his temples. “But he’s my bestfriend, I’m not going to _lose_ it.”

At that, the older man’s expression was somber. “ And if that were the case then I wouldn’t be here.”

Noctis gripped the controller tightly.  His voice came out weakly. “ I was okay with Luna and that was when I was actually _wrong._ I’m better now, why can’t you all see that? _”_

“ It’s been the third time this month, Noct, ” Gladiolus said quietly.

Before Noctis can make any rebuttal he felt his fangs fully push out. It’s as if the astrals want to prove him wrong so he can lose the only friend that saw him as Noct. His father would surely take him away like he did with all the others. He was too dangerous to be around humans, and too lowly of a being for vampires.

He snarled as pain rattled through him--it was like someone flipped the switch, the lighting suddenly too bright for his eyes. When Gladiolus called his name, his voice was drowned out by the blaring white noise.

  
  
  



	4. Somnus part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Noctis POV

The Night Before.

This endeavor was his most strategically planned yet. Everyone probably assumed he would be shadowing the vampire district, where blood was readily accessible. They knew he would never feed fresh from the source. Noct agreed with that sentiment. King Regis may have not respected his son’s wishes, but Noctis respected his. The scheme was to hide out and meet whoever was writing the letters. To discover more about his nature.

Noctis leaned against the brick wall, careful not rest against something slimy. He managed to get far, far away from the palace and deep into the heart of Insomnia’s underground. Though, not a lot of people here looked Insomnia-raised. If he tried to peg their ethnicity, most seemed to be from Accordo.  It was no doubt that men and women here were tough. ‘Like _vampire hunter_ tough,’ Noct thought.

If he knew any better this district didn’t look too welcoming for vamps. Noctis recalled from his time in school, where the teacher droned on and on about sociopolitics, that dozens of laws were passed for equality. Crimes against humanity was considered a felony. The prince always had the impression that humans here were safe compared to, say, Niflheim. Yea, they lived in an utopian paradise. A place where humans freely donated their blood and Plasmalyte was the leading brand in bloodsucking soft drinks.

Noctis didn’t really see that here.

The prince carried with him an anonymous letter detailing all about dhampirs and self control. These were lessons Regis never taught him. Instead, it was as his nameless penpal described it, Noct was treated as a porcelain prisoner. One who would never be king.

He crumpled the letter in his hand. He’d been receiving them for some time now, all priming him for this grand escape. ‘Not once in my life did he teach me anything that mattered,’ he thought.

This was his first time in a neighborhood that wasn’t filled with prissy nobles, or _chandeliers_ for lamp-posts. Word on the street was that the night was _dangerous._ While it was illegal to carry around arms against vampires, people still did it. Black market goods were defiantly displayed in public. From all kinds of poisons and charms to enchanted blades. All guaranteed to protect and slay.

Noct being discovered as a dhampir and the king’s son would no doubt end in bad news. If all the propaganda paraphernalia meant anything, a lot of people didn’t like the way his father ruled. He tongued his cheeks experimentally, his fangs became sharp enough to cut. Thankfully, even if his pride suffered, they weren’t long enough to protrude out his mouth. He’d be able to fit in as long as he kept his cool.

The prince took in his surroundings as he moved. Some individuals sat on cardboard sheets, showcasing their missing limbs and multitude of scars in an effort to gain sympathy and coin. Mostly coin. Noctis guiltily rushed passed them, sometimes dropping a quarter or two in their tin cups.

This particular stretch of street was locked in with all kinds of folk,and as Noctis waded through the crowd he realized he didn’t fit some of their criteria. He was no idiot, but he blamed the problem on his baby face. Noct’s efforts all fell in vain despite his best to remain incognito.

Well he was a half-human, at least.

For once in his life Noctis wasn’t donned in all black. The dark mauve hoodie he wore complimented his complexion, and made his ebony hair somehow darker. One of Prom’s gray joggers hung a little loose at his waist. It fit enough where Noct didn’t have to pull them up every five minutes. Paranoia had caused him to recheck the contents of his duffle-bag for the umpteenth time. Walking in crowds always made him figidity. Okay, he still had his wallet, pure cash. That was the most important thing here: no money meant no food or lodging.  If he used his card, he would probably have been caught five days ago.

Going off a mental checklist, he counted all his belongings:

Deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste? Check.

Some change of clothes and bathwipes. Yup.

And the polaroid camera was still there. Good.

When he turned the corner, Umbra sat there, expectant. He must have jumped five feet in his skin.

“ Umbra! You don’t have any Kingsglaive trailing your tail, do you?” He asked affectionately, bending down to scratch the dog’s chin.

Umbra made an undignified whine. Noctis grinned.

He pulled out the notebook and snapped it open, eager to read its contents. A photo slipped out from the pages. As he picked it up his eyes gleaned the image. Noctis let loose a laugh. There was Luna dressed all prim and proper, flexing her bicep and sticking out her tongue. She probably convinced Gentiana to snap this shot, as Ravus would never let such an unbecoming photo of his little sister exist. Not to mention the consequences of Ravus discovering their secret form of communication.

He flipped the photo over. The caption read, ‘Five patients completely cured. Take that, revolving door syndrome!’’

Noctis could feel the joy radiating off her neat cursive. Then he moved on to the content in the book.

‘Are you still teasing Ignis with that recipe, the one with the ulwaat berries?’ She asked. There was a doodle of a sad puppy at the end of the sentence.

She left a little line on the bottom of the page with a circle around it. ‘Answer here’ was outside of the circle, and was attached to an arrow that pointed at blank line she supplied him. Compared to her script, Noctis had chicken-scratch for handwriting. He left a sloppy ‘No,’ and decorated it with a smiley face. He hoped she caught his lie through the text. She probably would, knowing her.

He then read about her day to day tasks and what Ravus was up to in Niflheim. The last thing she drew was a sketch of the Sylleblossom. ‘Hopefully we can see them bloom together soon,” she wrote.

Next, he took out his polaroid and snapped two shots. One of him with a thumb up and a lopsided half grin. The other one had him sucking in his cheeks in a pout.

He was a little self-conscious with first photo, his fangs were poking through. He pushed those insecurities aside when he reaffirmed that this was Luna he was talking to. So he wrote, ‘ That’s great, I believe in you! After all you cured me.’

On the second photo he scribbled down, “ Kind of ran away, so don’t worry about any news in Insomnia--I’m okay. I just want to know more about myself and you know how dad is.’

Noctis glanced up at the sky. The moon was rising. If he heeded any advice from the homeless, it was that he should find a place to crash for the night. Or in his case, The Phoenix Feather.   He didn’t need to carry any sort of enchanted blade with him, seeing as he had a whole magical arsenal hidden away in a stitch in time.  Regardless, it was best to not walk blindly into danger.

‘I can’t wait to see them together, too,’ he jotted down before strapping the book back onto Umbra.

“ Time to make tracks.” He hoisted his dufflebag onto his shoulder and set off towards his destination.


	5. Somnus part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And there is ardyn. Warning, while nothing sexual truly happens, it gets pretty skeeve. Ardyn is a douchenozzle

When the prince arrived at the meet-up point, he felt kind of let down. Noctis was frugal with his money, determined not to spend it on such frivolous things such as alcohol, but as one hour turned into two, then three and four, his wallet was looking a little thin. The waiter hovered menacingly over him, so he planned that a shot or two an hour would do no harm.

It would be an exercise in tolerance.

Noctis pulled at the strings of his hoodie and shrunk away from the undesirable attention he was on the receiving end of. The young lady next to him was obliterated and her breath reeked, the smell of alcohol was rolling off her in waves.

“ It was nice chatting with you, but I think I have to go,” he said, shifting to get out his seat.

“ Awee, but I feel like we’re sooooulmates,” she whined. Her head rested on the bar counter and one hand clumsily slid down his shoulder. He leered back at her, snatched his dufflebag and staggered towards the exit.

So he was a little drunk, but not shitfaced.

Alcohol consumption was an elusive art and one that probably would take many years to master. It was the unofficial olive branch between vampires and humans. Gladio taught him one thing about alcohol intoxication: throwing up was never a bad idea.

So he did just that.

He slid down to the ground with one arm propped on the wall and heaved out the contents in his stomach. The world was shifting around him as he tried to keep his heavy lids open. The more he vomited, the better he’d feel.

The cool concrete gave him relief as he laid down. He tried to crawl away from the small puddle of vomit he left but didn’t manage to get that far. The world spun marginally less, so Gladiolus’ advice held some merit. Okay he had to admit it, he was also shitfaced.

On the tilted ground, Noctis heard the footsteps before the stranger hazily walked into view.

“ Oh dear, you look terrible _Noct_ ,” They said, but Noctis didn’t recognize that voice. Before he could pull a face to those words, Noctis’ world blacked out.

* * *

 

Unlike all the other times, the pain in his head was because of a hangover and not because he was teetering off the edge of humanity. Strangely enough he didn’t feel the need to wake-up barf, something that usually happens upon drunken arousal. It appeared he was in some motel room, and by the looks of it, it was still night. Agh, how long was he out?

He didn’t realize his limbs were bound until after he tried to get up, and after a few forceful tugs he saw his efforts were futile.

If only it was easy to just squeeze his eyes shut and wish to be in another place. Noct reasoned his luck must have finally run out.

Then he realized, he wasn’t alone. Someone was sobbing, pleading, begging.

He blinked hard a few times before the world stopped spinning. She was bound on the floor, with a piece of cloth tied tightly around her mouth to restrict speech. Her face, it looked like---

“ Luna, is that you? ” He rasped out.

“ Not to worry, she is not the oracle,” said the voice from before.

In the corner of the room, a blurry figure sat up from the chair. When the man moved into focus, Noctis noticed the predatory glint in his amber eyes.

“ Name’s Ardyn, a pleasure to meet you, Prince Noctis,” he said with a deep, swooping bow. “ You may know me as the one who sent you all those letters, yes?”

Ardyn trailed his fingers along the contour of Noct’s body and then cupped the prince’s chin. The man leaned down as if to inspect him further, and it didn’t take much to understand the implications. This was a warning.

“ If you promise to behave, I’ll release you.” He pressed a thumb into his cheek right where Noctis’ canines were, and his retractable fangs pushed out slightly.

Noct gave a slight nod and Ardyn drew back, pleased.

“ Your father did a fine job on leashing you.” Noctis found that ironic, seeing that he was tethered. The older man turned away from him and to the woman. “It takes great impetus to find truth, Noctis. Will you take what I have to offer?” 

The prince finally found the words to speak, but his voice sounded hoarse. “ Just what are you implying?”

Ardyn flashed an unkind smile at him, it looked more like a snarl. He pulled the women to her feet by her bindings.

“ Tell me, Noct.” Ardyn dragged the woman towards the bed and then continued, “ Did your father teach you how to hunt?”

“ I thought we were going to talk about controlling my bloodlust,” Noctis whispered. A deep fear pitted in his stomach. Ardyn tilted curiously at Noct then shook his head in mock-sympathy.

“ But how can we learn restraint if we are unaware of our limitations?”

Noctis momentarily locked eye contact with the other captive. She let out labored, uneven breaths, and while she couldn’t speak her eyes said it all.

“ Tsk, tsk, it’s such a shame,” he ran a hand through Noctis’ hair, “that you were declawed.” He then gripped Noct by the jaw, forcing the prince to look at him.

Ardyn leaned down and pressed his lips into Noctis’ own. When he pulled away, a small bead of blood trailed down Noctis’ chin where Ardyn’s fangs cut into. This wasn’t how he expected his first to kiss go and he hoped that this was where they stayed. The man grazed his teeth along Noctis’ neck, where waves of electric crashed over him.

The prince thrashed against his bindings as the vampire tore into him, but he found his strength quickly waning. The woman, who looked so much like Luna, inched herself closer to them, _I’m sorry_ , her eyes said.

When Ardyn pulled away, he released Noctis’ bindings in one smooth motion. As Noctis slipped deeper into unconsciousness, he thought of the last thing he said to his father. If only he could rewind time and take back everything he said.

Just as the last drops of his consciousness slipped away, the world snapped back into focus.

It felt like red-hot embers burning underneath his skin. The heat seared into his consciousness, where the flames twisted into him like a wildfire, demanding to be sated. Whoever he was smoldered away into ashes. All he knew was that he was so _hungry_.

He can’t recall the auburn haired man’s name, but instinct tells him not to pick him.

The woman--she was of some importance. Noctis can’t remember why, an image of a notebook flashed by, too quick to be deciphered. The prince tilted his head at her bizarre gesture where tears overflowed from her eyes.  With a ravenous growl, Noctis lunged and ripped into her until every last drop was drained.

* * *

 

There was this coppery-taste in his mouth when Noctis came to. Ardyn was no where to be found. It was just Noctis and--

\-- _Luna_ , was that Luna?

He gripped his head and screamed. Did he just murder the love of his life in cold blood?

“ I need to find Umbra,” Noctis said outloud. “ Or Pryna.”

When his fangs cut deeply in his mouth, he gasped. A dizzy wave crashed over him as he searched for his reflection. He stumbled into the bathroom and flicked on the lights.

Deep red stared back at him, not bright blue, his pupils were slitted like a cat’s. Was this what his father saw in him?

He couldn’t go back.

Noctis leaned forward to inspect his fangs--they were protruding out his mouth and refusing to shrink back. He was a mess, his clothes and hair were matted with dry blood. Noctis peeled off his clothes and practically leapt into the shower. He didn’t bother to adjust the temperature, so his teeth clattered as he was drenched in ice-water.  Noctis focused on scrubbing himself until he didn’t see red anymore. Then he hastily threw on a spare change of clothes, and figured the only way to leave the scene was by window.

The prince slid down into a side-street from the balcony. Everything was too bright when the setting sun greeted him. Noctis gaped, “An entire day?”  

Until night fell, Noctis decided to stick to the shadows. It was not only to adjust to these new sensations, but he had no idea where Ardyn left him. He figured it was best to remain unseen and take to the back streets. Some parts of the alleyways were troublesome to squeeze through but Noct managed. The prince crashed headfirst into the pavement when the fence he was climbing over collapsed under his weight. He found himself in a new side of Insomnia, before him was staircase leading deep underground.

Ignis had told him before, about how dangerous the underground slums were. It was a major focus on the King’s administration, to reduce the crime and bloodshed. It was so dangerous that it was one of the areas off-limits to the prince.

“ Down the rabbit hole, huh?” Noctis mumbled.

Halfway down, a mix of scents pierced into him: human blood, sanguine. The prince attempted to swallow back but the temptation cracked his resolve. Noctis gripped onto the railing and cradled his head, the same hunger from before clawed deeply into him. 

He needed to get away, something was shouting inside of him to turn around now before it was too late. But primal instinct overwhelmed all rational thought and those words quickly faded away. He stalked through the hallways, the fluorescent light beating down on him only made the hunger worse.

Noctis woke up to a soft sob, the little girl in his arms wilting. It was when he dropped her body to the floor he realized he was screaming. He fell back and twisted to look at his reflection in a puddle. Red eyes gleamed back at him.

A familiar voice screamed his name. To his dismay, it was Gladiolus, storming towards him with Ignis hot on his heels. Noctis stood up against the vertigo, and in the fog, there is only one thing on his mind: to run.

  



End file.
